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The Power of a Business Card.. Carolyn Thompson

THE POWER OF A BUSINESS CARD! 
Here's a great story from Mary Kay Sales Director Kathy Patton....
I just watched a very interesting happening in my neighborhood..    Just a little back ground first   I live in a single story neighborhood of about 60 homes..   all the houses are about 10 to 12 years old..  All the homes up until about 5 months ago where about the same vanilla color with white garage doors, trim and front doors..  BORING!!!   
            First thing we noticed was we were getting little businesses cards from a painting company  stuck in the window of our cars if they were parked outside  several weeks in a row..  next we had not 1 but 2 to 3 business cards  stuck in our front doors   Never saw anyone..    What did we do with them you ask   WE TRASHED THEM!!  The we got a flyer every so often every week for several weeks   sharing testimony stories of neighbors that had their house painted..  how quick it was,  tidy,  and no going to the Housing Board for approval !     As we would drive out of the neighborhood we noticed the houses that had been painted and think gosh that looks good..  Wonder what it cost????    I am sure it cost too much maybe next year !     Then a young man dressed very nicely knocked on our door and asked if we would like to get our house painted..   Bill said no we are not interested this year maybe next  He left 3 or 4 cards to share with our friends   More and more people in the area were getting their house painted by this guy and his crew  they would show up early in the morning..   swarm the house and by 3 in the afternoon they were gone and the house looked wonderful..   On Monday the neighbor next door said he was talking to Dick around the corner and he was getting his house painted tomorrow..   thought he would get his done   and he had 3 to 4 cards from the painter   Gave us one..   When the crew arrived the next morning Charley is out front with his crew and a stack of business cards..    When we would go to our cars, the mail box or just go outside to see what was happening.  We all received 3 to 4 cards as he asked us what do you think of the color that our neighbors had chosen and showed us the colors that were approved by the Housing Board   I thought what the heck we need our house painted  Wonder what it would really cost..  Charley was very willing to give me a estimate   and he handed me 3 to 4 cards    Our house was painted yesterday     Each time I talked with Charley   he would tell me in ways how much he appreciated the opportunity to paint my house..    AND he would offer me not 1 but 2 to 3 cards to share with my friends   by the way I gave a card to a friend today she stopped by to see how my house looked   The end of the story     23 houses in our neighborhood have been painted in the last 2 weeks..   In our cul de sac.  5 where painted this week   because of Charley handing out cards..  Oh the houses cost between $1800 and $1950 to paint   that is $9,375 in just one week .    I asked him if he had a goal of how many cards he passes out..  His goal is 100 cards a day..    hmmmm what if we handed out 50 cards a day  What kind  of business would we have???  
The painter didn't give up on the first try - he knew the power of layering!  He also saw the value in referrals and follow up!  We can do this, too.  Think of all the ways the painter announced his business and service in this one area and how it paid off in the long run!